Wolverine #31: Too Many Beasts

Things have been heating up on Krakoa in both Wolverine and X-Force for months now, and last month’s Wolverine #30 gave many readers precisely what they have been waiting for: Beast getting taken down. Unfortunately, readers quickly find that this is part of Beast’s plan. Wolverine #31 picks up directly after issue #30, showing Beast activate “Beast Agenda” with The Pointe rising from the ground revealing a giant Krakoan Megazord-type vehicle, which is exceptionally cool.

Juan José Ryp does deliver some fantastic images in this issue. For one, he does an excellent job depicting the sheer scale of the animated Pointe. Ryp’s ability to define Krakoa’s organic matter is a significant highlight of the issues he has been on and reminds readers that as much as Krakoa’s life is beautiful, it is also a nightmare. Readers will all agree that seeing the Beast’s head split and burst into a mound of fungi while fighting Wolverine is pure nightmare fuel. 

Frank D’Armata’s coloring also complements Ryp’s style and attention to detail, bringing out the exciting textures and patterns in the organic matter of Krakoa. There are a lot of organic visuals, but D’Armata also utilizes bold and vibrant colors. One would see fantastic blues, greens, and oranges if you flip through this issue. Cory Petit’s lettering is excellent and efficient and often guides the readers’ eyes to more minor details that might have been missed or overlooked, which is helpful because this issue moves fast. His lettering for Beast’s overarching monologue throughout the problem is especially menacing. Benjamin Percy has been building up to this point, and it seems to be a satisfying payoff. His writing, as always, is excellent and consistent through both Wolverine and X-Force. This is extremely impressive because the Krakoan era is constantly changing and evolving. What comes next will be interesting because if readers hated one Beast, they would hate a roomful of them, plus multiple clones of Wolverine at the Beast’s disposal.